Oppression In Maxim Gorky's Mother

Maxim Gorky, or Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov, often seen as the founder of social-realism, was a soviet novelist who was also closely associated with Russian revolution. His best known work Mother was published in the year 1906, a little after the 1905 Russian revolution, which had dragged the economies of the Russian industries to an all-time low, a consequence of constant revolts and protests of the men of working-class against the unfair practices of the upper class. A socialist-realist novel, Maxim Gorky’s “MOTHER” is about the revolutionaries of the working class, who while working in a factory realize the oppression they are subjected to. Seeing through another perspective, it can also be seen as a journey of a woman (Pelegueya Nilovna),

The story revolves around Pelagueya Nilovna and her son, Pavel who she initially fears will turn out to be like his father- a drunkard, and a useless person who was not a very social person during his lifetime and had not earned a very good image for himself. Pavel instead is much into reading and soon Pelagueya finds out he is into subversive literature and is associated with a group of underground socialists who despise the current system and the way it functions. Her acceptance of the same marks the beginning of her support and presence in the Russian revolution. Initially, as Pavel explains to her his beliefs, she is startled by his ideologies and thinks he is going against God and Czar (the Russian emperor before 1917, who was an equivalent of God for his citizens). It is only after she meets his colleagues that she understands his cause a little better and gradually, becomes a part of the revolution, turning into a revolutionary herself as we see in the end. Amongst his comrades, she likes Andrey, who is full of joy and generosity and Natasha, a gentle girl whose father belongs to the upper class. Soon in the novel, their home becomes the center of all their activities. Pavel though born in a workingclass family. Whose father was a drunkard and mother, a submissive woman goes on to become an important character in the novel, for he inspires the people and provides them with confidence and their stern intelligence, by becoming their leader, making Pelagueya happy, as she sees men of older ages coming and asking for advice from her son. It is upon his arrest, that she is distressed and soon she finds out that 60 others have been arrested, upon which she decides to get involved in his activities and joins the factory as a caterer for delivering the laborers